With the aim of proper implementation of the Smoking and Use of Tobacco Products (Control) Act (Amendment-2013) initiative of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority-BRTA and Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Health Sector training has been provided to 180 public transport drivers at the Zoar Sahara BRTC Bus Depot in the capital on today Thursday (18th April’24.)
Adut Rahman Emon, Program Officer of the Tobacco Control Project of the Health Sector of DAM, presented a documentary on the implementation of the Tobacco Control Act and health damage among professional drivers.
In the training public transport drivers (Bus, CNG, Laguna, Tempu) are informed about the bad effects of direct and indirect smoking, health hazards, and tobacco control laws. Passengers, especially women and children, are indirectly exposed to smoke in public transport due to the smoking of drivers and driver assistants. As a result, they suffer the same damage as non-smokers.
At this time, the participating drivers got a clear idea through a video documentary about the harmfulness of smoking in public transport, and the legal obligations were presented to the bus drivers in detail.
Smoking in public places such as bus terminals, airports, railway stations, seaports, public offices, and public places is a punishable offense. All non-smokers, including many women and children, are exposed to second-hand smoke in places where direct smokers are exposed.
Dhaka Ahsania Mission and BRTA have been jointly conducting this training program regularly every week, intending to make public transport 100% tobacco-free and implement the law.